Tounge-switch.



:I' '9 l 3\\ y V 10 s l 5 14 10 5 1 10 WITNESSES." INVENTOR I No. 869,580. PATENTEDOGT. 29. 1907. E. LEWIS.

TONGUE SWITOH.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 20, 1905.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD LEWIS, OF STEELTON, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOE TO THE PENNSYLVANIA STEEL COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

TONGUE-SWITCH.

Application filed May 20, 1905- To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD LEWIS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident oi Steelton, in the county of Dauphin and State oi Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useiul Improvements in Tongue- Switches, of which the following is a iull, clear, and exact description, reierence being had to the accompanying drawings, of which- Figure l is a plan view Fig. 2, a section on line rt-n;,

Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a section on line y-y, Fig. 2; and Fig. 1,

a section on line 2*.2, Fig. 1.

"his invention relates to tongue switches ior street railways, and its object is to provide a switch of this kind in which the pivoted tongue is prevented irom tilting up at the point, and the wear oi the pivot pin is minimized, and such wear as may take place may be readily taken up, and liability oi the tongue getting loose is obviated.

The precise nature oi the invention will clearly appear from the iollowin g description.

In the drawings, 1, is the base or body oi the switch; 2, the tongue pivoted thereto by a pin, 3; and 4, the usual track-rails, whose convergent ends are entered into and secured in recesses in the end of the body, 1.

In carrying out my invention, I make the pin, 3, oi a diameter about equal to, or somewhat greater than, the width of the tongue on the line of the said pin, the base of the latter being in a plane at right angles to its sides, and the outer side or bae k or heel oi the pin extending to the plane oi the top oi the tongue, as seen in Fig. 4.

The heel end oi the body oi the switch is provided With a socket, 5, whose diameter and depth are substantially equal respectively to the diameter and length oi the pin, 3, so that when the latter is in said socket, its base will rest upon the bottom wall of the latter, as in Fig. 4. I usually, however, insert in the socket, to constitute the bottom thereof, a removable disk, 6, of steel or other hard metal. The under side of the tongue rests upon or is closely adjacent to the floor, 7, of the switch.

In the base of the switch, adjacent the socket, 5, is a transverse recess, 8, open at both ends, into which recess a portion (about one half its diameter) of the pin, 3, projects, as more clearly seen in Fig. 3. A part oi the wall oi said recess in iront oi the socket, 5, is iormed to provide faces, 9, inclined irom the middle in opposite directions, as seen in Fig. 3, and indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1. Within said recess are inserted two blocks, 10, having inclined sides contacting with the inclined faces, 9, respectively, and having each also curved faces, 11, adapted to lit and bear against the periphery of the pin, 3, as more clearly seen in Fig. 3. 12 is a bolt that extends through holes in the specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 29, 1907. Serial No. 261.428.

said blocks, 10. The projecting end oi this bolt is screw-threaded and has a nut, 13, thereon. There is a recess, 14, into which the said bolt extends, which recess is open at the top. By means oi a suitable wrench passed into said recess, 1 1, the nut, 13, may be turned as may be required. By screwing up the same, the blocks, 10, will be drawn towards each other, and their inclined sides, riding upon the inclined iaces, 9, oi the wall oi recess, 8, will obviously cause the blocks to tend to force the pin, 3, backwardly, and thus any lost motion that may result irom wear oi the pin or its socket may be readily taken up.

Preferably, I make the part or side (3") oi the pin, against which the rounded laces, 11, oi the blocks, 10, bear, tapering upwardly, as seen in Fig. l, and also in Fig. 3; and said faces, 11, are correspondingly tapered, as also seen in Fig. 4. liy this construction, any liability of the tongue rising is obviated, and the tendency oi the blocks when drawn towards each other by the bolt, 12, is to force the pin down on its seat in the socket, 5.

In order to prevent rolling oi the tongue by the parssage oi the wheels oi cars over the same, I make the sides oi the tongue tapering upwardly, so that the under or bearing suriace oi the tongue will be broader than the ripper suriace thereof, as seen in Fig. 2.

It will be seen that, by reason oi the pin having a large diameter, iitting a corresponding socket, and thus having a broad bearing, as described, and the rear or heel end of the pin extending up to the upper line oi the top oi the tongue and the line oi the top oi the base oi the switch (or rather the line oi the tops oi the track-rails iitted and secured to said base) which lines are in the same plane, tilting oi the tongue is prevented; and,'by means oi the blocks, 10, and bolt, 12, lost n10- tion between the pin and sides oi the socket may be taken up.

When necessary, that is, in case the hard metal disk, (5, becomes unduly worn, it may be removed and a similar one of suitable thickness may be substituted.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent-- 1. in a tongue-switch, the combination of the base having the socket; therein, the tongue having the pivot pin 01 diameter as great as the heel end 01' the tongue,

- the rear side of said pin being; in the same plane as the heel end of the tongue, together with means [or taking up lost motion of said pin, substantially as set forth.

2. In a tongue-switch, the combination of the base having the socket therein, the removable hard-metal disk in the bottom of said socket, the tongue having the pivot pin 01' diameter as great as the heel end 01' the tongue and the rear side of the said pin being in the same plane as the heel end 01' the tongue, said pin having a bottom bearing on said disk, together with means [or taking up lost motion 01. said pin in said socket, substantially as set forth.

3. In a tongue switch, the combination of the base having the socket therein, the tongue having the pivot pin entered into said socket, and means for taking up 10st motion of said pin, comprising separate blocks within a recess in said base, one side of each of which blocks is adapted to fit against the side of said pivot-pin and the opposite side of which blocks are provided with inclined faces correspondingly engaging inclined sides of the wall of said recess, together with means for operating said blocks, substantially as set forth.

4. In a tongue-switch, the combination of the base, having the vertical socket and the lateral recess communicating therewith, the tongue having the pin entered into said socket, the blocks having the faces corresponding. with and contacting with the adjacent face of said pin, means for adjustingsaid blocks to take up lost motion of said pin, together with means for preventing vertical dis placement of said pin in its socket, substantially as set forth.

5. In a tongue-switch, the combination of the base, having the vertical socket and the lateral recess communicating therewith, the tongue having the pin entered into said socket, said pin having the face adjacent said recess tapered, the blocks having the faces corresponding with and contacting with said tapered face of the pin, and means for adjusting said blocks to take up lost motion of said pin, substantially as set forth.

6. In a tongue-switch, the combination of the base, having-the vertical socket and the lateral recess communicating therewith, the tongue having the pin entered into said socket, the blocks having the faces corresponding with and contacting with the adjacent face of said pin, the opposite faces of said blocks contacting with inclined seefis o inwardly convergent faces of the inner walls of said recess, together with the bolt passing through and connecting said blocks and the nut on one end of said bolt, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. In a tongue-switch, the combination of the base, having the socket and the lateral recess communicating therewith, the tongue having the pin entered into said socket, the blocks within said recess and having the faces corresponding with and contacting with the adjacent face of said pin, said blocks and pin having inter-engaging parts to prevent vertical displacement of said pin, together with means for adjusting said blocks to take up lost motion of said pin, substantially as set forth.

8. In a tongue-switch, the combination of the base, having the vertical socket and the lateral recess comma nicating therewith, the tongue having the pin entered into said socket. the blocks in said recess and having the faces corresponding with and contacting With the adjacent face of said pin, the opposite faces of said blocks contacting with inclined inwardly convergent walls of said recess, the bolt passing through and connecting said blocks there being a recess in said base communicating with said lateral recess and to which access may be had from the top, and into which said recess one end of said bolt extends, together with the nut on said end of said bolt, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto aflixed my signature.

EDWARD LEWIS.

Witnesses A. B. SMITH,

WM. E. \VINKs. 

